Cingular’s NCAA deal starts to add up when considering the details

Observers
have been curious how Cingular Wireless' one-year NCAA
deal, which doesn't include any TV in the NCAA men's hoops tourney,
could add up to some $3.5 million — two to three times what some
sponsors are paying.

Also making people scratch their heads is the fact the NCAA sponsorship
agency Host Communications sold Cingular its second-biggest NCAA
deal ever (after GM) during the worst year for marketing, advertising
and sponsorship sales in a decade.

While Cingular got no benefits beyond Host's standard package of radio,
programs and intellectual property rights, there are some sound reasons
why Cingular felt it worth two to three times what some sponsors are
paying. Foremost is the site of this year's Final Four — Atlanta,
Cingular's home.

Cingular has also renewed its titlement to the halftime show on CBS'
NCAA tourney coverage, but has extended it to regular-season telecasts
as well, an investment upwards of $10 million. Thus, supporting it with
a rights package, even a costly one, makes sense, especially when you
consider the high penetration of cell phones on college campuses.

While the TV and property rights were sold separately, the deal is
the first example of Host and CBS sports sales working together. That
will become commonplace soon, with Host and CBS due to roll out new
sponsorship packages before the end of the year. Details on the new
packages are still sketchy. A recent-NCAA Corporate Partners session,
which was to have provided some details, was scuttled by the tragedies
of Sept. 11.

Host has the rights to sell as many as 20 sponsorships. It currently
has a stable of 14 sponsors, which is expected to drop to around 10
after this season. Three tiers are likely to be established. The lower-priced
packages will include opportunities for potential sponsors to cherry-pick
specific sports or genders for the first time.

NOT SO SUBTLE:Michael Jordan's comeback seems
to be the worst-kept secret in sports. Witness the recent snafu in which
His Airness was briefly listed as an active player on the Washington
Wizards Web site. Not to mention the subtle hint from NBA schedulers
who have Jordan's Wizards opening their season at Madison Square Garden
against the New York Knicks.

But are we the only ones who remembered that his longtime Gatorade
deal expires at year's end? Maybe not.

"I can't envision a scenario where we don't have a relationship with
Michael," said Gatorade sports marketing chief Tom Fox. "We should
have something done soon."

COMMERCIAL GUY: For a backup quarterback, Michael Vick
has a lot of TV commercials. At last count, the NFL's top draft pick
was appearing in four national spots — two for Coke's Powerade,
one for Sony's 989 Sports video games and one for EAS
energy bars with John Elway.

Octagon's Tom George notes that the agency hasn't cut
any local Atlanta deals, although a small deal for Kroger supermarkets
shows Vick's strength in Virginia, where he played college football.
Kroger will use Vick's name and image and pass through those rights
to its vendors.